Monday, 12 March 2012

Garden Plans - Update

Thank you all for your comments on my last post - the overwhelming advice was that I should let the allotment go and focus on the garden at home so this is what I have decided to do. I have already told friends and family that I am leaving my allotment and I just need to get my sheds cleared and a few plants dug up before I let the committee know.

I still feel regret at the end of an era but that is unsurprising as I don't really like making decisions or change.

But you should see the effect focusing on our own garden has had!

We cleared the lawn and chopped back all the climbing plants from our garden and those clambering over the fence from next door, we gradually got rid of all the rubbish and junk that had accumulated and the children were very helpful digging big holes to sit in............

Our fabulous next door neighbour Malcolm rebuilt our greenhouse which was falling down, put up a screen for the bins and built decking to cover the drains, then created kits for us to build our own raised beds - complete with illustrated instructions IKEA-style!

Mr Locket then spent the entire day on Saturday painting the fences, sheds and walls while the children and I spent the day with my mum and dad while our friend Stuart very kindly re-wired our downstairs electrics.

Then on Sunday the whole family worked really hard painting

and building the raised beds

and transporting gravel from the drive to the garden in every available vessel they could find

as well as dressing themselves up in the weed-membrane and putting on a fashion show!

Until we went from this

to this

and this

to this

I am ashamed that it had got so bad but I am totally delighted with how it looks now and how it is going to look once we have vegetables and flowers growing. Everyone else is really pleased too and as we walked to school this morning Fred was telling me how nice our garden was and how he was going to tell his friends.

Now I need to get digging and start sowing my seeds - and I think I will have 3 quite eager little helpers which will be fantastic. It's like the old days when we all used to be enthusiastic about the allotment but on a much more manageable scale.

Yeah, way to go Locket family and friends it looks totally awesome. I don't like 'ending' things either but it seems to me like you have most definitely made the right choice and I think because it is right outside your window you'll feel more inclined to keep on top of it :-) x

Well move over GroundForce team cos the Lockets have arrived! Wow - what a transformation! It looks fantastic. How much fun did you lot have doing that?!? Lots it would seem :-)

The colour is lovely and the gravel really makes the colour stand out. I know it must have been lots of hard work but totally worth it - you even have a swing seat for doing your knitting. Bet you are grinning from ear to ear.

Well done to all of the young lockets (can't call them little as they are all getting so tall!) and to hubby locket too. What a great team effort.

I hope emptying out your allotment sheds don't cause you too much angst - just keep picturing your pretty little garden and how it's going to look with strawberries and flowers (and all of the other goodness you are going to fill it with).

Ground Force eat your heart out! You've done an amazing job and will be no doubt growing all kinds of wonderful things... Seems like a much better idea than an allotment because it is literally on your door step! Enjoy it!

wooo hooo, it looks amazing! I'm so impressed with all that you've got done so far, it's a huge and wonderfully gorgeous transformation. How lovely that it's got everyone feeling inspired too. I want to pop round and share a cuppa with you on your lovely swing seat and chat about knitting and vegetables, shame you're up the other end of the country! So pleased for you xxx

You've worked miracles already - and you've inspired us to finally make the same decision as you have. We've had the first fine weekend in ages and the last place I want to be is on the allotment, while I feel a great desire to sort out our house and garden and have spent all day doing just that. We've even earmarked our one sunny bed for veggie growing - a potager is what we need I think, veggies and flowers! So, we'll collect our tools and hand back the keys and let some other person have the plot - apparently there's now a waiting list for ours to so this is it ...